Bioactive phytochemicals from papaya seed oil processing by-products

The papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a tropical fruit crop that belongs to the family of Caricaceae. Large quantities of papaya seeds are found in the fruit center, and it changes color from white to black following fruit ripening. The spicy-pungent flavored papaya seed is globular in shape and surrounded by a transparent gelatinous aril. Commercially, papaya seed is used as a raw material for manufacturing functional oil and substitute food formulation for black pepper. Defatted papaya seed meal is a by-product produced following oil extraction. It contains high protein and phenolic contents, which can be further utilized to produce food products such as flour and protein supplements. In addition, the high adsorption properties of defatted papaya seed meal highlight its ability to be used as a natural sorbent. Further studies are needed to understand the antioxidant activities of defatted papaya seed meal.